Welding aluminum



Sept. 8, 1925.

Fig.1"

Fig.2

R. D. MERSHON ET AL WELD ING ALUM I NUM Filed July 21-. 1925 avwwmto'c [go/pk Age/she ercg 055. 351 m filbtome1 4 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

U IT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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WELDING ALUIDI'UI,

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To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that 'we, RALPH D. MERSHON, of New York, county and State of New York, and PERCY A. Rose of Yonkers, Westchester County, and tate of New York, both citizens of theUnited States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVelding Aluminum, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention which forms the subject of the present application (in part a division of our prior and .Icopendmg application Serial No. 343,266, filed December 8, 1919) relates to welding aluminum. r

In prior methods for electric welding of aluminum to aluminum or to other metals it has been believed necessary that the parts to be joined be brought together by percussive engagement; or that a terminal of the source of welding current (say a charged condenser) be brought into contact with the parts at the point where the weld 15 to be made so that the welding current will flow between the parts and the terminal at the instant of contact. Our present invention is based on the discovery that percussive engagement of the parts, or brin n the weldmg terminal into contact wit t e olnt at the instant of discharge of the condenser, is unnecessary, and that on the contrary the parts. can be arranged in the desired positions and in contact with each other before the condenser is discharged.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating one way of practising the invention, for welding two wires end to end;

{Fig 2 illustrates the welding of two plates edge to edge. In the drawing, 10, 11, Fig. 1, are mtended to represent any two parts (one orboth composed of aluminum) which are to be welded together, as for example two wires which it is desired to join end to end. For this purpose the wires or other parts may be tapered at the points where they are to be joined and are placed one against the other in the desired position, or slightly separated. If necessary t ey are held in such osition by a suitable nsul ating clamp or y any other convenient means, not shown. The two parts are also connected electrically in parallel to the terminal 13 of the source of welding current, for example a condenser 15 charged by a generator 16. The connections to the terminal mentioned should be so made as to make the resistance there at practically nil, as for example by wrapping the wires tightl together, or by clamping them firmly. '5 terminal of the condenser 13 provided with a switch 17 The other terminal, 14, preferably of aluminum, is simply laid or held on the joint 12, touching both wires 10, 11, where the weld is to be made. The switch 17 is then closed. The discharge then takes place between the contacting terminal 14 and the two parts .10, 12, at the point where the former touches them, with the result that the sudden rush of current through these points of relatively poor conductivity pro uces an instantaneous rise of temperature sufficient to fuse together the contacting terminal It to the parts named. The terminal is then out, leaving a small portion of it welded to 10 and 11. This rocedure is repeated until suflicient metal as been deposited to build up the ta ered parts to the desired thickness, after w oh the joint can be dressed down if necessary or desirable.

If two plates are to be joined, as 10", 11, Fig. 2, the edges thereof may be beveled on one or both sides and metal from the welding terminal 14 may .be deposited in the groove or grooves in amount suflicient to fill the same, any excess bein dressed off to make a smooth or flush sur ace if so desired.

It is to' be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details herein described but may be practised in other ways without departure from its spirit.

lVe claim:

1. The method of welding aluminum, comprising arranging the parts in the position in which they areto be welded and connecting the. same in open circuit to one terminal of a charged condenser and connecting the other terminal of the condenser to the parts at the point where the weld is to be made; and then closing the 'cincifit whereby the condenser dischar es atsuch point and welds them together t ereat.

2. The method of welding aluminum, comprisin arranging the parts in the position in w ich they are to be welded and,

Q I v 1,552,448

ctheri an to a. charged condenser in open member and welds t em together at suc circuit; arranging in contact with the parts point.

at the joint between them a. welding mem- In testimony whereof we hereto aflix our ber connected with the other terminal of signatures.

the condenser; and then elosmg the circuit, RALPH D. MERSHON. whereby the condenser dlscharges through PERCY A. ROSS.

connectin the parte in parallel with each the joint between the arts and the welding l 

